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@uiten tetra stwt @fitte NORMAN W. lVHEELER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK. Letters Patent No. 72,139, dated December 10, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT 1N VALVE-erin ron STEAM-ENGINES.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERNs v Be it known that I, NORMAN W. WHEELER, of the city ofrooklym'county of Kings, and State of New York, declare that'the following is a full4 and exact description thereof, reference being had-to the accompanying drawings, with letters of reference marked thereon, forming a part of this specification.`

Figure 1,. in sheet A, represents a molcs-eyeseeticn, I

Figure 2a cross-section, and

Figure 3 a. partial end vierv; and. u

In sheet B are representeddiagrams Nos. 1, 2, and 3, to show the operation of the apparatus, and the control had over the steam-valves, like letters indicating the same parts in the different figures anddiagrams.

In most steam-engines the valves are actuated by motion derived more or less directly from the working piston, Which'motion is usually a. continuous reciprocation, and various mechanical devices have been employed l for the purpose of changing the reciprocation of the rock-shaft, for instance, to. an intermittent reeiproeation of the .steam-valves, that is to say, moving at successive steps, Afor purposes well known` to engineers.

The essence of my invention consists in impressing such desired intcrmitting rcciprocation upon the valves,`

through the instrumentality of a hydraulic apparatus, which receives the'constant reciprocating motion from the working-piston, and delivers an intermitting reciprocating motion to the valve or valves, the times of complete or partial intermission of motion being variable, when it is so desired, responsive to theV action of a governor, or thevmanipulation of an attendant.`

To enable others skilled in the art to construct. and use my invention, the construction and operation of an example, referring first to sheet B, upon whichV are drawn three diagrams, for the purpose of illustration merely, without reference to facility of construction, in which l p a a represents a barrel, into which are fitted the plungers B C B, connected to each other; by the necksD' 13; and the plungers are supposed to receive a constant reciprocating motion from aneccentric equivalent to the circle Z. E represents another barrel, preferably smaller,than a a, into which is titteda ram, g, whichgives motion to the valve or valves, anoutline of one variety being drawn above each'diagram, in positions corresponding to those of the ram y. The two barrels, a a and E, are connected together at their-.ends by the passages ff. h h, t" z',j.j, and le lc, are ports and passages, the functions of which will be understood from a. description of the action of the apparatus, which should be considered as immersed in a. body of uid which fills all the internal cavities of the apparatus, i I

Non', suppose the eccentric to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrowhead marked on the circle Z, the fluid will escape from before the plunger B, as seen in No. 1, through the prtj, while it willfollow up behind the plunger B', entering through la', i', E, andf, or through z, E, andf." This will continue, and no motion be given to the ram g'until the plunger B shall'reach and close the portj, when the fluid will be imprisoned, and a pressure generated suiiicientrto move the ram q along in the opposite direction to the diction of B, the relative velocities ofthe ram and pluugers being inversely as their arcas. l This motion o'fgwill continue until the passage z' is opened by the passage beyond it of the ram g, when the fluid will escape through the passages z' and k, passing across a, around the neck D, and the ram g comes to rest with yt'heva`.lve in the position shown in No. 2, with the steam cut oii and the exhaust-port partially open. The continued movement of the plungcrs will impress no motion upon the ram until the, central plunger C arrives at and closes the ports i and k, or one of them, when, there being no way of escape for the uid before B", the ram g must resumeits motion, and come again to rest when it shall have passed by and opened the port h, througli which the iiuid will then How, leaving the ram andivalve in the positions shown in No. 3, during the residue of the stroke of the plungers B C and B", and untilthe plunger B shall have returned andV closed the port j,tvhen the continuance of the return-stroke of the plunger will produce movements et" the ramg equivalent to those described, but in the opposite direction, as is easily seen by inspection ofthe diagrams. In brief, the functionsV of this apparatus are to move the steam-valve or valves from a state of rest, in proper position for admitting steam to one end of the working-cylinder, and releasing it from the other, first to a position closing the admission, and leaving the release more or less free, and,vafter an interval of rest, to again move the valve or valves,

have invented a new and useful Hydraulic Valve-Gear forA Steam and other Engines; and I hereby 1 I ivill proceed to describe in detail Murau le so aste reverse the admission and release. Thesapparatus may, if preferred, be made in two parts, 'each operating valves at the respective ends of the working-cylinder. It will he seen thatwith this apparatus the eccentric should be set a little late, in reference te the crank, instead of early, when the usual valve-gears are used. If the plungers and ram be fitted into the barrels so accurately as'to prevent leakage, theports h L may be' omitted, for the ram g would come to rest when the plunger reached the vestreme of its throw,.and be left in the desired position, But it is deemed best to provide for a considerable degree of inaccura'cyand leakage, by making the throw of the plunger exceed that theoretically required, and to provide, as` shown in the diagrams, for an overflow at the end of each movement of the ram.

. The construction may be varied in its mechanical features, to cover a wide range of results, and to present to the superficial observer -great variety in appearance. For instance, when cxtreme accuracy '.of`throw`is required, and when it is feared that the precise mode of construction shown in the drawings wouldrresul't in too great leakage, uncertainty, and wear of parts, the plungers B and B may bc omitted, and the remaining plunger, C, and the ram g, be tightly packed toY lit the barrels, with brous or other packing, but in that case, inasmuch as the packing would not readily traverse the ports, the imprisonment and release ofthe fluid should beper'formcd by slide or other valves, operating in'separa'te chambers, or at least upon separate seats, for each barrel, and attached respectively to thc ram and plunger, or other part of the engine; lso that the port-closing and opening functions, described as appertaining to the plungers, lips, and ram, .shall appertainltothese equivalent valves. When it is desirable to make the apparatus inthe same general ferm as shown in the drawings,

hut'ofless length, the centre plunger C may be omitted, and also one of the necks, D or D", and the functionsof l.the plunger C be devolved upon the inner ends of the plungers B and B, and thelength of 4the apparatus -be materially reduced; 'but in. that case the ports k and It must bc put cach-in the place ofthe other, andthe passages leading from them tothe ports i and zw'must he crossed, so as to retain the capacity for thedesired action. 'And, foranother instance, suppose each end of a working-cylinder tc be fitted with a valve having a piston attached hy'way of la spring', or that the valve is of the disk variety, traversing a port communicating withthe end of the working-cylinder, with the livc steam, say, ahovc the valve, so that it will fall andA admitv steam when left without support. New if a ram equivalent to ghe attached to each valve, so as to lift it'lto closew the port, aindlagain lift the valve beyond the port to release, the valve may he held up during the time of release by a mechanical or hydraulic latcl1, and such latch he disengaged, and the valve allowed to fall and admit steam by the action of thelepposite valve, when'it approaches its highest position; or the latches may be disengaged by thc'agcncy of aj' cat:,1ract,4 and a rest or hark of the engine he securedat the end of each stroke,-

w'liiclr'irxayfbc verydeSirablc, if it bettedias a pumping-engine, and the motion ofthe plun'gers B'd D D Che derived directly 'from thc'motionof the working-piston; and again, if a valve gcar to work puppet-valves he fitted with-the toes all-upon `one rock-shaft', andthe steam-toes set so as to havev suicient idle motion t'o seat the steam-valves while-the exhaust-valves remain partially open, and further, the rock-shaft .be fitted withmcountcrpoise, tov hold the gearat full open during the early part of the stroke of the piangere, Vthen the intermittent motion to bcdcrived from .thc apparatus herein. described, applied to the rockshaft, ,-wil1 make a -desi'ralle motionfor such valve andcut-o' gear. Thev time in the stroke at which the cutting-offmovement will take place, depends upon the position of the ports jij", in relationto the length and 'throw of the pluugers B -Band conversely, upon the lengths of the plungcrs l B, in relation to thellengths of their strokes and the longitudinal positions of the ports jjf; hence, any mechanical device which will practically change the lengthsl of B B, may he used to change or regulate the times of eut-oil', and the grade of expansion.

Referring now'to sheet A, we-see drawingso'f-v a practicalgapparatus, lettered tocorrespond with the diagrams, with the valve-rod n, eccentric-rod m, whichl should be connected with the eccentriclby mcanslof a. cup-and-ball joint,.or#spade-handle, in which the part of the rod carrying the plunger may turnuponrits own axis, so that, by means of the. arm o and pii1p,the plunger may be manipulated seas to, .regulatefthc' grade of expansion, as hereafter described. yQ 'is .a reservoir to contain 'the ilu-id; Il;V a bonnet, 4forming a channel from k tro-;` and the dotted lines z" z' show the longitudinal position of the. passages if z'. in the diagramsk merely for illustration; whereas thc real passagesare from lc Ic to z'z',ftlirough bonnets Ri S S are eut-off lips or prolongations of lthe plungers B B, cut awayat a proper angle, so as to'c'over the ports jj, and produce the cut-off movement of the ram g ata period ofthe'strokc to"correspondl with the-*relative angular positions of the ports jj and lips S S, which position-depends upon the positie-11 of v'the arm o, which maybe arranged-t0 be operated by hand or by any known'governor, attached to thc pinp;jan d theillead, of the steam-valves may be changed to correspond with the grade ofezrpansion, by making'thi'e ends ofthe plunger C at some angle to the axis other than ninety degrees. 'There may be used various equivalents for the device here shown, to regulate the grade of expansion; for one instance, the` lips S Smayhesimply tongues projecting from the plungers B B, and bc made to cover the utfoifportjjiat the desircfltime by mcans of'angular motion given the plungers by xed or adjust-able stops, operating on the arm o; endif valves separate from 'the plunger and ram be used t'e regulate thc overflowof the Huid, they may bel spread or contracted in various ways known to mechanics. i

The dash-pots and analogous devices which have heretofore been vused for the purposeofarrcsting the motion of valves when they approach their seats, differ fundamentally from this invention,lin `thatn'they lo not. transmit motion to the valves, but only resist 'destrucvte movements of the valves and'their attachments; se does thc'mode of cutting-oif,.wherein thevalveds lifted by mechanical means, and held open, until the proper time for closing, by means of n. barrel and plunger, arranged as a hydraulic latch.

Therahm'e-describcdl apparatus performs certain functions which have not been performed by any hydraulic apparatus which has heretofore come within my knowledge, to-wit, it receives a continuous reciprocating motion' from an eccentric or other moving part of the engine, and delivers an intermittent reciprocating motion to the valve or valves, or the devices directly actuating them, by means of the instrumentalities indicated below, that is to say-4 i Y First, the voperation of the moving force upon the valve or valves is suspended at the period when lthe steam is out oil', and before the `exhaust is opened, by reason et' the relations of the ports z" i to the ram g, which are suolil that the ram g will passover and open one of the poi-tst" or i", thus relieving the ram from pressure; and, itit be preferred, Athis operation may be performed by separate valves, constructed so as to operate in an equivalent manner; but Iv prefer the precise construction described. I Y i Second, the. valve or valves are causedto resume its or their movement towards the completion ofthe throw at the proper period, by reason of the relations'oftbe'port's t" i or 1: 7:, which are such thatthe plunger C will then cover the appropriate one; and, if it be preferred, this'may be effected by separate vulves, lconstructed-- Vto operate inan Yequivalent manner. Third the o eration of the movinvforce u on the valve onvalves is sus endedwhen it or the have 1 P D P P y arrived at the proper limit of the throw, by reason of the relation of the plungerg tothe ports h it,I which are such that, at the proper period, the plunger g will pass over so as to open the appropriate one, t! er lz,) thus relieving the pressure; and, if it be preferred, this operation may be performed by separate valves, constructed to operate in an equivalent manner. i I

Fourth, the cutting-oli` movement of the valve or valves is induced at the periods chosen, by reason of the' relations of the ports j j te the plungers D D", and the cut-oil` lips S S, which are such that the appropriateV one of the ports jjf will be closedat the period determined by the passage ove'r it at the propel' period of the appropriate lipvor plunger, and the period of closure may be regulated byturning the plungerso as to bring dil'erent parts of the angular lips S S over the ports j j"; and, if it be preferred, this operation muy bc performed by separate valves, constructed to operate in an equivalent way.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows: i

1. I claim opening proper ports, as z" i, so as to suspend the operation` of theV moving force upon the valve or valves at the period when the steam 1s cut oil',-and before the exhaust is opened, substantiallyus and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. I claim the closure of certain ports, as i i ad'lc k, so as to cause the valve or-valves to resume the movement towards its or their full throw at the proper period, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. i

3. I claim opening proper ports, as h h", so `as to suspend the moving force operating upon thcj'alve or valves when they or it have reached the proper limit of throwrsubstantially as and for the'purposcs herein' set forth.

4. I claim regulating the times of closing of passages, so as to' induce the'cutting-otf movement of the valve or valves,'at' variable periods, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein sct forth.

5. I claim changing a continuous reciprocating motion derived from an eccentric, or equivalent moving part of the engine, to an intermittent reciprocating motion, by means of an hydraulic apparatus, as hcreinbefore described, substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein set forth.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set-my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NORMAN W. WHEELER.

Witnesses:

C. C. LIvINes, F. A. Hameau. 

